US diplomat shot in foot during robbery outside Rio

Sao Paulo - Brazilian police say an American diplomat was shot in the foot during an attempted robbery while travelling outside of Rio de Janeiro.

The federal highway police said Friday that vice consul Stephanie Bohlen and a man identified as her partner were attacked while driving Thursday night on a coastal road in Angra dos Reis. The popular vacation destination is about 90 miles (150 kilometers) from Rio. The man was not hit.

Bohlen was brought to a nearby hospital, and civil police say she was then transferred to a hospital in Rio for surgery.

A British tourist was shot and wounded in the same town earlier this year, when she strayed into a rough neighborhood.

The US Consulate in Rio did not immediately reply to a request for details.